The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has refuted claim that the Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, was reprimanded by the Presidency.
A statement by the Assistant Director of Information in the ministry, Mrs Rhoda Illiya, said at no time had the Presidency reprimanded the minister for “excessive use of power and employment of staff beyond the financial capacity of the ministry”.
She was reacting to online reports alleging that Farouq was reprimanded by the Presidency, the News Agency of Nigeria reported on Friday.
The statement read in part, “The minister has at no point employed any support staff, as employment in the Federal Civil Service is guided by laid down rules and procedures and cannot be carried out at the instance of the Minister.
“The staff of the Ministry to date including the Minister’s staff were deployed from other MDA’s with their salaries and emoluments still domiciled in those MDAs.
“The Minister has at no point stopped payment for the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. It is pertinent to state that the Minister has approved payment for the programme up to the 31st of January 2020.
She called on Nigerians not to be distracted by unfounded stories aimed at distracting the minister and the present administration from addressing poverty, creating wealth and entrenching inclusion in the country.